ASUS Maximus XI Extreme: Z390 with all the things!

Packaging

The packaging is pretty standard fare with the lift open design like we have seen on many models previously form the ROG side.

Accessories

The accessories with the Maximus XI Extreme are plentiful but there are some special callouts here.

DIMM.2

This has been redesigned as it how has a heatsink which helps keep speedy drives cool and also, strangely enough, makes it look like an extra thick DIMM

Sleeved SATA Cables

The board comes with 4 standard plastic sheathed cables but also two fiber sleeved units which will be a nice aesthetic for those still employing SATA based storage.

ROG USB Drive

Yes ASUS has been doing this for a while but it is still awesome and so many still do not do this. having all of the drivers on a USB is a huge help as many builds do not include optical drives any longer.

Fan Extension board

This connects to the motherboard and uses a 4 Pin PATA connector to give you a motherboard controllable extra 4 fan connectors and also temperature probe connections.

RGB Extension cables

I know RGB cables may not seem like a big deal here but I really like the fact that ASUS goes ahead and includes an extension cable not just for 5050 4 pin headers but an extension for addressable RGB as well.

The Board

Here we get our first view of the complete board. While the massive size of the board may be the first thing to enter your mind as it did mine, I also quickly noticed how densely packed every inch of the PCB seems. ASUS did not make this board just to be big, they crammed it full of hardware.

A Closer Look

The Maximus XI Extreme has three x16 mechanical slots. the top two are CPU fed slots while the last is chipset/DMI. It is worth noting that even though the slots are mechanically x16 they are electrically dependent on slot and device population. The topmost slot is the primary and when the 2nd slot is not populated it will give 16 lanes PCIe to the installed GPU or other devices. However, since this board employs a DIMM.2 it is worth noting those are CPU lanes as well so if you populate two M.2 Drives in the DIMM.2 module your main slot will drop to x8. Keep this in mind as this means if you are running SLI, you will need to use the DMI based M.2’s below the PCH cover. This is not a limitation of the ASUS board but the platform as a whole since mainstream platforms do not have the massive quantity of PCIe lanes available like we see on the HEDT parts.

The lower edge of the board houses large swath of connectivity. (Left to right)

Front Panel Audio Header

Thunderbolt Header

4 Pin PATA Supplemental power

RGB 4 pin (5050 style) header

RGB 3 pin Addressable header

ASUS NODE header

2x USB 2.0 headers

USB 3.0 20 pin header

4x Radiator fan ports

Post-Speaker Header & Thermal probe Connector (Above)

Front panel header & Bios Switch Button (Above)

The rear panel I/O is nothing to scoff at as it has a full load of high-speed connections. (Left To Right)

The storage side of things we find 6x SATA ports right above the Water pimp/Flowmeter headers for the water cooling zone. To the right of the SATA, you have another USB 3.0 20 pin header and also a USB 3.0 Gen 2 onboard header.

The SupremeFX audio solution has a large array of Nichicon caps along with other goodies to help give a better than meh experience for audio duties. That’s not to say its the end all tell all but ASUS have gotten progressively better in their audio solutions and in ensuring they have some solid component choices in place when building out their studio solutions.

The top right of the PCB on the Maximus XI Extreme is no joke and still home to what I call the “Overclockers Corner” as it has most of the controls you would be interfacing with during an XOC session or while in a testbench setup. (Left to right)

Safe Boot Button

Retry Button

Reset Button

Power Button

RSVD Bwitch (CBB)

Slow Mode Switch

Post Code Display

4 LED post status indicators

LN2 Mode Jumper

MemOK II Switch

4x Radiator fan ports

Here we have the “LiveDash” display which shows in real time various information which you can configure. during post it shows text descriptions of the position in the post process which it is currently performing.

Here you can see the Dual 8 pin power connectors to feed the beast. Now do keep in mind that any system even liquid cooled does NOT require you to connect both connectors as you would likely be well below the amperage needed (200A @ CPU power stage) to employ a 2nd. but there really is no harm in connecting them. If using this board in an XOC environment I would advise connecting both to ensure you don’t stress a single cable too badly but even then I don’t think it will really pull that much. so basically any system you will use every day will likely not need the dual 8 pin, but if you have it and can connect it, no reason not to.

Check Also

Review Overview

Z390 ROG to the extreme is here! We would like to introduce you to the ASUS ROG Maximus XI Extreme. ASUS and their Maximus series of boards have been synonymous with gamers, overclockers and overall enthusiasts over the many years since ROG or Republic of Gamers came to be. However, some things have changed as the extreme overclocking or XOC community has evolved and so has the hardware. It used to be that you got a Maximus extreme board and it was the best for LN2 and benchmarking usage but could also be used for gaming while the Formula moniker…

ASUS Maximus XI Extreme: Z390 with all the things!

ASUS Maximus XI Extreme: Z390 with all the things!

2018-11-09

Shannon Robb

ASUS Maximus XI Extreme

Value - 8.5

Performance - 9

Innovation - 9.5

Quality - 10

93

9.3

ASUS made a board worthy of the Maximus Extreme title. Some may balk at the price, but there are plenty of other board options if the Extreme is a bit too much for you to handle.